books to inspire

Some of my favorites from the best in various categories. Books that reward rereading and have much to offer writers exploring voice, mood, theme, and the beauty of language and imagery. Exemplars. Mentor texts. Biased by my personal tastes in subject matter, design, illustration and tone.

NON-FICTION

On Creative Work

Adam Grant, Originals

CHILDREN’S & YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE

Poetry (verse)

Paul B. Janeczko Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems (selected by Paul B. Janeczko, illustrated by Melissa Sweet)

Picture Books – fiction (PB)

Aaron Becker, Journey (wordless; first of a trilogy)

Picture Books – biography (PB bio)

Matthew Burgess, Enormous Smallness: A story of E.E. Cummings

Peter Sis, The Pilot and the Little Prince” The Life of Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Middle Grade (MG)

Neil Gaiman, The Graveyard Book

Tim Wynne-Jones, Some of the Kinder Planets (short stories)

Young Adult (YA)

David Levithan, Two Boys Kissing

Benjamin Alire Saenz, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe